


Gimme One Reason to Stay Here

by KatiKitten



Series: We Used To Be Friends [3]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, Noah Puckerman/Quinn Fabray friendship, Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-07
Updated: 2012-05-07
Packaged: 2017-11-04 23:44:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/399523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatiKitten/pseuds/KatiKitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A line is drawn in the Glee room, and someone's the first to cross. People find out that Quinn's living with Rachel. Hell breaks out. (Part of an ongoing series.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gimme One Reason to Stay Here

**Author's Note:**

> Just want to say that some of the characters will be shown in a somewhat unflattering light in this story. This does not mean that I think they are horrible people. Quite the contrary. What it means is that I think they are _teenagers_ , and every teenager makes the wrong choice sometimes. Things will get fixed later, no worries.

Things were relatively calm in school the Monday after Sectionals. No one freaked out and started punching anyone. Rachel and the other non-jocks or Cheerio's still had to deal with the daily Slushy facial, but they were used to that by then.

Rachel actually started thinking that maybe Monday would be relatively drama free.

Then she walked into the Glee room.

Finn was on one side of the room, very studiously not paying attention to Noah and Quinn, who were on the other side of the room and doing their best to ignore each other as well as everyone else. There was an empty seat next to Finn, presumably meant for Rachel since everyone else in Glee was clustered around Finn. Finn was ignoring everyone around him, not just Quinn and Noah, but it just seemed more _pointed_ at his ex-girlfriend and former best friend.

Rachel didn't eve have to stop and think about where to sit. She held her head high and crossed the length of the room, sitting between Noah and Quinn, ignoring the silence that surrounded her as her heels clicked with every footstep.

And then all hell broke loose.

Finn was the first to start yelling, Mercedes and Kurt joining in quickly after him, because of _course_ Finn was the only possible victim in this saga.

Rachel's arm made its way around Quinn, her other hand twining with Noah's, wanting to present a united front. They could get through this, they _could_ \--

\-- and then Mercedes made a comment about not being able to tell "Trouty Mouth" anything.

What. The. _Hell_?

Rachel jumped to her feet, the yells turning back into silence. Apparently, she had that look in her eyes that Finn had called "Swimfan Psycho". "Excuse me? You tell _everyone_ in the Glee club except me, which is okay because I have no right to know, and the person that it _actually effects_ , which is _not_ okay because he _does_ have the right to know, and somehow, _I_ am the 'Trouty Mouth'?"

Mercedes had the grace to look ashamed at that, and Finn jumped in. "Rach, why are you sitting over there? I saved you a seat over _here_. Why are you choosing them?"

"It was very sweet of you to save a chair for me, Finn. I understand you are upset with Quinn and Noah, and I do not blame you for that. They hurt you badly, and made it worse by lying about it. I understand that, but so do they. _You_ have the right to be upset. No one else in here does. They are passing judgement when they simply do not know the whole story, treating Quinn like she needs a scarlet letter sewn onto her shirt."

Brittany leaned over to Santana and whispered loudly, "How do you have a letter made out of little scars?"

Everyone looked at Brittany for a moment, before doing their usual thing when Brittany said something completely off the wall: ignored it and left it to Santana to explain. Rachel picked up where she'd left off, addressing the group as a whole, not just Finn anymore. "Some of you are Quinn and Noah's friends. Not merely teammates, or someone who sings with them. Actual _friends_. I wanted to have friends like the ones they had; people who would watch my back for me when I needed it. But after seeing the way you have treated them, I think that no friends is better than the kind of friends you are. At least I _know_ that no one is going to help me wash the Slushy out of my hair."

"Hey, back of, Man-Hands. Q knows we got her back, when she isn't being a holier-than-thou bitch." Santana crossed her arms, glaring at Rachel.

If they knew her at all, they would have known that Rachel Barbra Berry wouldn't back down. "Then why is Quinn living with me?"

There were a full five beats of silence before the yelling started again. Luckily, that was the point Mr. Schue decided to walk in, and he was able to get everyone under control. While he was talking to the group, Brittany, Mike and Matt crossed over to Quinn and Noah's side of the room, Santana following a few seconds later.

Mr. Schue told everyone how proud he was of them for working so hard, putting a set list and choreography together in the half hour they had before performing, etc. Mr. Schue's enthusiasm was contagious, and everyone was smiling and nodding along. Or at least they were before he passed out the sheet music for the next project and Rachel and Finn had the solos. "Mr. Schue, I'm not singing with her. She totally Benedict Arnolded me, which isn't an egg dish like I thought."

Mr. Schue gave Rachel an apologetic look, and turned to Mercedes. "Mercedes, do you want to tackle today's solo?"

Rachel's mouth dropped in disbelief. Actually _dropped_. "Excuse me?"

Mercedes tossed Rachel a smug look. "Guess Mr. Schue's tired of your showtunes Disney, and is ready to get some Chocolate Thunder in the house."

"Mr. Schue, this is not fair." Normally, when Rachel was protesting a musical unfairness, she got loud and passionate. This time, her voice was quiet. "I am not the one behaving unprofessionally. I am not unwilling to sing a solo with someone. It is not fair to punish me for an ultimatum that someone else is giving."

Mr. Schue was still giving her the apologetic smile. "Rachel, if someone's uncomfortable, it's my job to alleviate that discomfort."

"No. It is your job to encourage us to all be better than we were before. It is _not_ your job to judge us on personal things that have nothing to do with you or Glee Club." The words were out of Rachel's mouth before she actually stopped to think about them, but she wouldn't take them back after she said them. She stood by the statement, actually.

"Rachel-"

"I quit." Silence followed Rachel's announcement, before yelling broke out again. Rachel waited for it all to die down, calmly packing her things in her backpack. "Saturday, all of you said that you need me. That I was your best shot for winning. And you were right. But I am tired of being treated well when you need me, and being treated like _crap_ the rest of the time. If you need me, you _need_ me. You do not get to pick and choose. I am tired of working three times as hard as everyone else, being three times better than everyone else, and still having to fight three times as hard for solos. Punishing me for being better and for working harder is not fair. So think this is a diva storm out if you want. I no longer care. I quit." She slung her backpack over her shoulder and started walking for the door, turning around before she reached it. "Quinn, you have my cell number. Call me if you need a ride home."

Quinn gave a sardonic chuckle. "No need. I'm right behind you. I'm not staying with a group of judgmental assholes and bitches."

What was meant to be a simple statement of what Rachel personally was and wasn't okay with wound up being turned into a group statement, because everyone that had been sitting on Noah and Quinn's side of the room by the time Mr. Schue came in was gathering their things as well. Matt spoke for what might have been the first time in front of everyone. "She's right. All of you treat her like crap. Not cool, guys."

Rachel probably should have felt guilty about leaving, but right then, all she felt was free.

No one gave her a reason to stay there, and she _wasn't_ turning right back around.


End file.
